Instant Pot Yogurt

Instant Pot yogurt is surprisingly easy to make with just 2 ingredients and not a whole lot of hands-on time! If you love yogurt like we do, this is a great way to make a big batch of it at a way lower cost.

All you need is milk and a little bit of yogurt, plus an Instant Pot, to get started!

Easy Homemade Instant Pot Yogurt

This is SUCH an easy recipe and you only need three things: milk, a couple tablespoons of plain yogurt with live and active cultures, and an Instant Pot! Store-bought yogurt can be pricy, especially if you get it all the time and use it almost daily like we do. Whether you love yogurt in granola parfaits, fruit salad, smoothies, as a sour cream substitute, or any other way, this recipe yields a big batch for a lot lower price than buying yogurt in bulk from the grocery store!

The amazing thing is that your Instant Pot has a yogurt setting, and all you have to do is add milk and yogurt to the pot, turn on the yogurt setting, and let it do its thing for 8 hours. You can have yogurt ready to go overnight! I like to save a few tablespoons each time I do this to use the next time I make a batch in the Instant Pot. I hope you love this snazzy trick that’s super easy and handy when making yogurt at home!

Instant Pot Yogurt Ingredients

Milk: Whole milk makes the thickest and creamiest yogurt in my opinion, but you can also use 2% or skim.

Plain yogurt with live and active cultures: The live, active cultures are important because these are what mix with the milk to turn it into yogurt!

How to Make Yogurt in the Instant Pot

Remove the rubber ring on the underside of the lid and wash the lid and metal insert/bowl well.

Put the bowl back into the Instant Pot.

Add the milk.

Stir in your plain yogurt.

Add the lid.

Press the yogurt button and select “low.”

Select the time that you’d like it to run.

Leave the Instant Pot alone for the amount of time you chose.

When the time is up, remove the lid and you have yogurt!

Tips for the Best Instant Pot Yogurt

Strain for thicker yogurt: If you’d like it thicker, strain it in a yogurt strainer like this one or line a colander with 3 layers of cheese cloth and set it in a large bowl. Let it strain for 2 to 3 hours depending on how thick you’d like it.

Whole milk makes the creamiest yogurt: You have LOTS of options when it comes to milk. Whole milk yields the thickest and creamiest yogurt. You can also make it with 2% and skim milk, and I know people also have success using lactose free milk.

Boil unpasteurized milk: If your milk is not pasteurized, you can boil it before using. Just be sure to bring it down in temperature to no higher than 110 degrees F. before adding your yogurt to the milk.

Homemade Yogurt Variations

Low-fat: Use low-fat or skim milk to make low-fat yogurt.

Sweet: Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons honey or brown sugar after the yogurt is done in the Instant Pot for sweet yogurt.

Vanilla: Add 2 teaspoons vanilla to the yogurt once it’s done in the Instant Pot.

Sour cream sub: Use in place of sour cream in soups, baked potatoes, or Mexican dishes for a lightened-up creamy condiment.

How to Store Homemade Yogurt

Store homemade yogurt in mason jars in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reserve a few tablespoons in a separate jar to make your next batch.

How Long Does Homemade Yogurt Last?

Homemade yogurt lasts for about one week in the fridge.

FAQs

Which Instant Pot Has a Yogurt Setting?

Most Instant Pot models I’ve seen have a yogurt button! However, if yours does not, see the question below.

What if My Instant Pot Doesn’t Have a Yogurt Button?

If your pressure cooker does not have a yogurt button, pour the milk into inner pot of pressure cooker. Turn on the Sear/Saute button. Heat milk to 180 degrees F., and use a thermometer to check the temperature often. Be sure to stir very often so milk does not scorch.

Once the milk reaches 180 degrees F., turn off the pressure cooker. Remove inner pot and cool to 108 degrees F. Once your milk has reached 108 degrees F., whisk in the yogurt until incorporated. Put inner pot back into the pressure cooker and add the lid. Wrap in a large towel, or two regular towels, and incubate for 8 hours.

Instant Pot Yogurt

Description

Instant Pot yogurt is surprisingly easy to make with just 2 ingredients and not a whole lot of hands-on time! If you love yogurt like we do, this is a great way to make a big batch of it at a way lower cost.

Scale

Ingredients

1/2 to 1 gallon milk*

2 to 3 tablespoons plain yogurt with live and active cultures

Instructions

To prep your Instant Pot, remove the rubber ring on the underside of the lid. For lots of people, this rubber ring smells like all of the things that you cook (mine smells like chili), and we don’t want yogurt that tastes like chili. Remove the ring and wash the lid and metal insert/bowl well.

Dry all the pieces well, and put the bowl back into the Instant Pot.

Add the milk.

Stir in your plain yogurt.

Add the lid (you don’t need the rubber ring, you aren’t pressure cooking the yogurt; the lid doesn’t need that to seal for this).

Press the yogurt button and select “low” (just press the yogurt button a few times until the light that indicates the amount of pressure says low).

Select the time that you’d like it to run. (The default is 8 hours, but it can keep the yogurt warm as long as 24. The yogurt will be as set as it’s going to be at 8 hours and will get more tart with more time, not thicker.)

Leave the Instant Pot alone for the amount of time you chose.

When the time is up, remove the lid and you have yogurt!

If you’d like it thicker, you can strain the yogurt. I like to strain it. You can use a yogurt strainer (like this one), or line a colander with 3 layers of cheese cloth and set it in a large bowl. Let it strain for 2 to 3 hours depending on how thick you’d like it.

Place the strained yogurt in the fridge (I keep mine in mason jars).

Reserve a few tablespoons of your homemade yogurt to make your next batch.

Notes

*You have LOTS of options when it comes to milk. Whole milk yields the thickest and creamiest yogurt. You can make it with 2% and skim milk. I know people also have success using lactose free milk.

If your milk is not pasteurized, you can boil it before using. Just be sure to bring it down in temperature to no higher than 110 degrees F. before adding your yogurt to the milk.

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Crystal Shoaf

How Easy! I never would have thought it would be this simple and delicious.

★★★★★

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1 month ago

Susanne Murphy

I have made homemade yogurt for years and really wanted to love the Instant Pot method. However, I prefer to use the double boiler and then incubate in quart jars in a cooler of warm water overnight. It makes my yogurt thick and creamy without straining. Mine keeps 3-4 weeks in unopened quart jars in the refrigerator.

I’m Melissa, and I want to help you feed your family wholesome food.

As a hobby farmer and mom of five, I’m all about keeping it simple in the kitchen. I want healthy meals that feed my family well, and then I want to get back to my (messy) life. Let’s work together to find something yummy for your dinner table.

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